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An aerospace (or aeronautical) engineer, is someone who designs aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, missiles, and systems for national defense. In addition, they test prototypes to make sure they function according to design. They are employed primarily in analysis and design, manufacturing, industries that perform research and development, and the federal government.

What does an Aerospace Engineer do?

An aerospace engineer typically does the following:

Directs and coordinates the design, manufacture, and testing of aircraft and aerospace products

Assesses proposals for projects to determine if they are technically and financially feasible

Determines if proposed projects will result in safe aircraft and parts

Evaluates designs to see that the products meet engineering principles, customer requirements, and environmental challenges

Inspects malfunctioning or damaged products to identify sources of problems and possible solutions

An aerospace engineer may develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and spacecraft. They often specialize in areas such as aerodynamic fluid flow; structural design; guidance, navigation, and control; instrumentation and communication; robotics; or propulsion and combustion. They can specialize in designing different types of aerospace products, such as commercial and military airplanes and helicopters; remotely piloted aircraft and rotorcraft; spacecraft, including launch vehicles and satellites; and military missiles and rockets. They often become experts in one or more related fields: aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, flight mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, and guidance and control systems.

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Further Reading

Aerospace engineers design machines that fly, from missiles and airplanes to space shuttles and satellites. They do not, however, travel to space. Instead, they use computer models to simulate space flight.

Aerospace engineers design equipment such as missiles, planes, helicopters, satellites and spacecraft. While a bachelor's of science in aerospace engineering commands a high starting salary, the prospects for those with graduate degrees can be even better.